Eminently Eve
Quite often, I get people who message me screenshots of my travel posts asking for different information about the places so that they too can visit them. However, I hardly ever get anyone asking about the things to watch out for while on vacation there. I guess the excitement of going to a new place just overshadows everything else to the extent that one only focuses on getting there. The health and safety aspects end up being pushed to the back-burner. Unfortunately, every now and again when I then follow up on how their trip went, I then learn that they faced some health bumps, sometimes during the trip and other times when they got back home. And that is what has prompted me to write this blog post. It is highly crucial that whenever you decide to go on a trip, you prioritize your health and research as much as you can on the diseases that are prevalent there and any other health issues to look out for.
In this blog post I am going to talk about 5 things to consider especially when going on nature themed trips in Zimbabwe. These pointers will help you as a guideline when doing your research on the game parks and nature reserves in the country before you go. While on the same topic of ‘health & travel’ do check this blog post which covers 6 things you need in your first aid kit when doing nature themed trips in Zimbabwe.
1. African Tick-bite Fever
This bacterial infection is to watch out for especially in places where there are wild animals. As you would remember from my ‘Wildlife Daily Quizzes’ on Instagram, a tick is an arachnid, which lives on a host mammal and feeds on the host’s blood for survival. This relationship is called parasitism. The end result is always that the parasite (in this case the tick) causes harm to the host while trying to survive itself. Ticks thrive mostly in areas which are warm and humid to allow their eggs to develop into larvae. They live on tall grasses waiting for host animals to pass by.
Therefore, the way humans get the bacteria is if during camping, hiking and any other safari activities, they pass by an infectious tick and get bitten. Just like in the case of mosquitoes, not all ticks cause the tick-bite fever. Symptoms usually start being witnessed within 2 weeks after being infected. These include a red sore on the bite site, fever, headache, muscle pain and rash. You may experience only some of the symptoms and not all. Since there are different diseases that cause similar symptoms, it is important to inform your medical practitioner about the prior trip you took so that he/she is fully aware. Preventative methods include using a repellent (we talked about repellents in this article 6 things you need in your first aid kit when doing nature themed trips in Zimbabwe); wearing long sleeved tops and trousers; tucking in trousers in socks to avoid any bare skin; staying in the middle of trails and not diverting your route into grasses; and carefully examining your body and clothes for any ticks before leaving the bush. If you do experience any symptoms you should contact your medical practitioner immediately.
2. Tsetse fly
Similar to ticks, tsetse flies are also parasitic animals that survive by sucking blood of a host animal. Unlike ticks however, which are arachnids, tsetse flies are insects. Tsetse flies transmit protozoa (bigger than bacteria) which then cause the disease called sleeping sickness. In Zimbabwe, the highest risk of infection is the northern Zambezi river area, including Kariba. Depending on the protozoan that one contracts, symptoms usually start appearing within 2 weeks (in the case of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense) or weeks/months (in the case of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense) after infection. Symptoms of both include severe pain and red sore on the bite site, severe headache, muscle and joint pains, lack of appetite, enlarged lymph nodes, insomnia and rash. If left untreated, after a few weeks one starts losing weight, having seizures, difficulty walking and other symptoms related to central nervous system failure. In the case of the latter protozoan, the second phase becomes more apparent 1 to 2 years after infection and includes similar symptoms as listed above. If sleeping sickness is untreated, it may lead to coma and can be fatal. It is therefore important to seek medical attention as soon as one gets bitten or if a bite is suspected. The bite is quite painful so it is not easy to miss.
3. Bilharzia
Now, more than ever, it is important to be very mindful of bilharzia when you go on your nature-themed trips. This is because it has become quite popular to take pictures swimming in rivers or dams. It is cute, undoubtedly. And I know the first thought that comes to mind is, “Our parents grew up swimming in these water-bodies so what’s the big deal“. Unfortunately, the change in times has brought a number of cultural changes too. Back then, water systems were highly respected. If one was seen using the water-bodies as a “toilet” there was a steep penalty enforced by the Chief. The human population then was also significantly low compared to the population nowadays. So our water-bodies are no longer as safe, especially from bilharzia.
So what is bilharzia?
It is an infection caused by parasitic worms called blood flukes or trematode worms. These worms’ life cycle starts from the egg which is found in freshwater systems like rivers, lakes, dams, etc where they have to find freshwater snails as hosts. They then penetrate into their bodies in order to develop into the larval stage. Once they are fully developed larvae, they find their way out of the snails bodies, back into the water system. At this point, they are now waiting for a human body to get in contact with them. Once that happens, they immediately penetrate this human body via the skin, swim to the wall of the bladder via the heart and liver. After about 4 – 6weeks, when they have reached sexual maturation, the males and the females mate and the females lay between 500 and 1000 eggs per day. The eggs find their way into the bladder where they wait to be excreted back into the river or lake via the human’s urine or faeces. The worms continue to lay eggs throughout their life which their average lifespan is 3 – 4 years.
It is therefore important when one travels, to just be cautious around water-bodies in the country. If one gets infected, bilharzia symptoms experienced may include fever, cough, diarrhea, muscle and join paints, stomach pain, pain during urination, blood in stool and others. Since the worm can survive for years in the human body, permanent damage to organs may occur. One should seek medical help as soon as any symptoms start manifesting or alternatively get into the routine of requesting for a blood test periodically. The treatment is very simple and effective so it pays to catch any presence of these parasites early.
4. Malaria
Bearing in mind that this list is in no particular order, malaria is another disease quite common in Zimbabwe. Its severity varies from one region to another in the country. For example, in the Zambezi river and the surrounding areas like Victoria falls, risk of infection is high throughout the year so caution is to be taken when one travels to that part of the country. Malaria is caused by a plasmodium parasite which is spread from human to human through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The parasite finds its way to the liver via the blood stream where it develops. Once fully developed (the incubation period is between 7 – 18 days), it re-enters the blood stream, invades the red blood cells and starts multiplying. The infected red blood cells start bursting at regular intervals of between 48 and 72 hours, releasing more parasites into the blood stream where they find other red blood cells to invade. Each time they burst, symptoms like fever, chills, vomiting, muscle pains, headache and sweating are experienced. The symptoms usually last between 6 – 12 hours. Malaria can be fatal. It is therefore important to take precautions when visiting high risk areas like consulting your medical practitioner. Usually, the medical practitioner will recommend an antimalarial prophylactic drug. If you find yourself with the above symptoms or any symptoms then contacting your medical doctor immediately is the best thing to do.
5. Cholera
The main reason I have included cholera on this list is that, so many times I have witnessed people buying fruits and other food stuff on the side of the road and eating them right away. I get it, it’s your favourite masawi, nyii, hubva, and you haven’t seen them in a long time. You are salivating. You can not wait to just have that ripe one touch your tongue. So you convince your self that rinsing them slightly with the bottled water the vendors handed to you is enough… it is not unfortunately! For the simple reason that you do not know the source of the water and you do not know how those fruits were picked, stored, until they were in that dish you are now admiring them from. It is important to remember that water sources are the main source of cholera infection especially in places where human waste is not properly disposed of. When you travel, you do not really have much information about the water sources especially those along the highway.
Cholera is one of the easiest diseases to contract. It is caused by Vibrio cholerae, bacteria which are transmitted from person to person via the fecal-oral route. If an infected person who does not practice proper hand or body hygiene handles your food, and you eat that food without properly washing or boiling it, the bacteria can easily get passed on to you. It does require about 100 million V. cholerae bacteria to infect a healthy adult but the risk is too high especially if you also have children whom you are travelling with. Some people may also be asymptomatic but still carry the bacteria which can still be passed on from person to person. Once the bacteria is in the body, it produces a toxin in the small intestine which causes the body to secrete enormous amounts of water, leading to diarrhea. Other symptoms include vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, and dehydration. Cholera can be fatal therefore it is better to prevent it. Medical help is to be sought as soon as symptoms start appearing or as soon as one suspects that they may have been infected by the bacteria.
These are my 5 travel health tips for you. It is not an exclusive list so feel free to add your health tips for Zimbabwean trips as well below or in our discussions on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Your health is your biggest asset so do travel responsibly. Research every place you want to visit before visiting, it will save your life.
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about intimacy with nature.
